The Resurrection Stone of the Mischievous Child

Edmund is hard to fool. He is fearless and not the kind of good kid who will give up easily if Dumbledore kicks him out.

"You haven't answered my question yet, sir." He stared into those eyes that were exactly like the old wizard's, and asked politely. "Why are you so patient with me, even willing to overlook my mistakes?"

Edmund desperately wanted to figure out Dumbledore's bottom line, and he went to great lengths to do so. But the white-bearded old man was as elusive as cotton, his attitude remaining light and airy from beginning to end.

"...Actually, someone said before that I'm a bit like the Sorting Hat," Dumbledore replied vaguely. "Both have the ability to 'read minds at a glance'—thankfully you didn't see my expression at the time; I was so embarrassed I turned bright red, because that was such a huge overestimation of me!"

"Furthermore, isn't it rather arrogant and arbitrary to judge someone's character based on just one glance? I've always tried to avoid becoming that type of person because I also find them very unlikable. But I still hope to gain some affection."

After saying this cryptically, Dumbledore glanced down at Edmund.

Edmund remained expressionless, not wanting to guess what Dumbledore was alluding to.

The old wizard offered no further explanation. He did indeed see the shadows of many people in Edmund.

This child is very courageous, even when facing an authority figure like himself, he is full of skepticism and scrutiny. From this perspective, Dumbledore does indeed feel that Edmund, like Tom Riddle, has a Gryffindor aspect; but at the same time, some of the child's behaviors are also very similar to Grindelwald's…

"Go back and rest. Try your best to get along well with your classmates."

Edmund reluctantly stood up and, unwilling to give up, asked one last question.

"Alright, I'll go. But I have one more question, and it's very important."

"Sigh, go ahead and tell me."

"What do you desire most right now?" Edmund asked in a low voice. "What do I most want to obtain? You've been called a 'great man' by many, and I'm very curious about the desires of a great man in the present moment."

That was a rather ambitious question, befitting his status as a new Slytherin student. Dumbledore saw Edmund to the door, hesitated for a moment, and then replied:

"I want to learn some new knitting techniques," the seemingly eccentric old man said seriously. "Those Muggle magazines I used to subscribe to have stopped publishing anything. Maybe it's because knitting isn't fashionable anymore? It's hard for me to accept... Ah, right, child."

The ever-kind-looking old principal paused for a moment before asking casually:

Have you ever heard of the name "Istas"?

Edmund felt as if he had grasped a little of the trick. This white-bearded old man seemed determined to play the amiable elder to the very end. But that wasn't bad; after all, Dumbledore was in the open, and Edmund was in the shadows. He would still have a chance to understand the other's desires.

"If you're asking me if Istas Dumbledore, then of course I know him. He was my mother's brother, and he died a long time ago, didn't he?"

Dumbledore nodded.

“I also know that my mother loved him very much because ‘he was her only support, her last family.’ Of course, now I’m the one playing that role.” Edmund shrugged. “However, even with me, my mother didn’t stop mourning him. She missed him so much that she hoped he would come back, and even spent a fortune searching for the Resurrection Stone, hoping to bring him back from the other side to earth…”

Edmund stopped.

"……gentlemen?"

Dumbledore didn't reply. Edmund looked up and was startled by the other's somber expression. Edmund suspected he had lost his composure. But why?

He wisely refrained from asking any more questions. For some reason, although Dumbledore still seemed harmless, Edmund sensed a strange danger. This time, Edmund was in a hurry to leave. He said goodnight to the old wizard and then withdrew from the headmaster's office.

As Edmund walked toward the lounge, he pondered whether he had successfully established his persona as a "willful and frank, impolite but exceptionally talented young master."

He sorted through the information Dumbledore had shown him that day. It seemed Dumbledore had decided to play the role of a kind distant relative. So Edmund changed his strategy, taking the initiative to play the unruly child in the relative's house—a mutually beneficial arrangement with Dumbledore.

While pondering whether Dumbledore's statement about wanting to compile a magazine was just a random outburst or had a deeper meaning, Edmund returned to the Slytherin common room.

Before going to sleep, Edmund was still thinking about why Dumbledore reacted so strongly after hearing about the "Resurrection Stone".

Even someone like him has people he can't let go of and obstacles he can't overcome, so why would he go so far as to use the resurrection stone to try and bring them back to life?

The next morning, Edmund immediately began writing a letter to his mother inquiring about the progress of the investigation into the Resurrection Stone. So preoccupied with the matter, he ate a large breakfast and remained listless until noon.

This put Pollyanna, who had already decided to align herself with him, in a difficult position. But the little witch had no other choice. She voluntarily sat down on the other side of Edmund, which earned her several eye rolls from Travers. Pollyanna pretended not to notice and asked Edmund which books he was looking for at the library.

"Someone recommended that I read 'Hogwarts: A History of the School'."

Edmund poked several more holes in the fried meat with his fork.

"I'll probably borrow this book and take a look. It's just an extracurricular book, so I'm not in a rush to finish it. I'd also like to find more books related to Spellcaster. Oh, we have a Spellcaster class next Monday, right? It would be best if I could look at the textbook beforehand and do some previewing."

Pollyanna nodded, slightly relieved. She had been worried that Soman was just playing with her, but seeing that he had a clear plan, she felt at ease.

Travers listened intently to their conversation, his ears perked up. He was both secretly resentful that Pollyanna Cobblestone had managed to curry favor with Edmund and utterly uninterested in books... He'd much rather be at the Quidditch pitch than at the library.

Travers also tried to invite Edmund, but the German gave a disgusted look and said he wasn't interested in entertainment that "didn't have the thrill of a gladiatorial arena."

Travers thought this guy was extremely strange, a born dark wizard.

After lunch, Edmund and Pollyanna embarked on their journey together. Along the way, Edmund repeatedly tried to subtly inquire about Pollyanna's life before entering Slytherin, hoping to ascertain whether she had grown up in the Muggle world. However, Pollyanna always evaded the question, allowing Edmund to gain a general understanding of the Slytherin girls' situation.

Anneli Murseb and Genova Murseb are twin siblings. Anneli has a rather outgoing and wild personality and is very attached to her twin brother.

Alecto Carlo was extremely arrogant and disdainful of others. She was a fanatical follower of pure blood and spoke quite harshly.

Sofia Walpole was a Slavic woman, likely an immigrant from Eastern Europe. She greatly admired Carlo, almost replicating the relationship between Travers and Edmund, without expecting anything in return from him.

"That sounds really good."

Edmund commented indifferently.

"Turns out I'm not the only one; we're all weirdos. Not bad, not bad, not bad at all."